MSD: Beginning of the End?

When Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD) burst on to the international stage and made news for his long locks and powerful hitting, I was a proud underground student in his hometown of Ranchi. More than six years later, I am not just disillusioned with his plans for the Indian team but also by his apparent disregard for 'playing for the crowds' (did I sense a streak of arrogance there and if so, beware MSD - those crowds buy the products you endorse). In his transition from a stable wicketkeeper batsman symbolizing the rise of small towns within Indian cricket to the power center of this current Indian team, he has been giving ample signals of losing the plot and cracking under the pressure of being crowned the Indian cricket captain.

Let me explain.

In India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been appreciated for his powerful hitting and intelligent captaincy. The 'Captain Cool' took over at a time when Sourav Ganguly was almost unceremoniously told that his position was no longer tenable in the team. Pretty soon, he was leading an inexperienced team to glory in the inaugural World Twenty20, and winning the last tri-series to be held in Australia. When Anil Kumble handed over the Test reins in 2008, he celebrated with a home victory against Australia. Apart from the World Twenty20 win, his leadership also oversaw India's rise to the pinnacle of the Test ladder, and a massively successful three years for the Chennai Super Kings franchise that did well in each of the first three seasons of the IPL before winning the event in 2010, and going a step further to claim the Champions League in the same year. He could do no wrong - and here's where the problem lay.

Dhoni has emerged as a very strong voice in the selection committee. Just in the past couple of months, he has not only demonstrated the fact that he can keep his friends in the World Cup squad but also ruled out some strong candidates without much explanation. Now I understand that the captain needs to have a say in team selection and he needs to be confident about his players abilities to deliver. However, here are some oft asked concerns: ever since Yuvraj Singh hit those six sixes, nothing much was heard about him in the past two years except his ever growing belly. How come he was still given a chance almost at the expense of equally capable but lesser known players? How do we explain R. Ashwin making it to the team and not playing even one game even though Piyush Chawla has been completely off color? And seriously, if Zaheer and Yuvraj can carry those bellies on to the field, I'd rather much vote to give a younger, faster player a chance to prove himself rather than rely so heavily on the old order. 11 fresh players did win the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, didn't they?

The point I am trying to make is that Dhoni has systematically provided opportunities to people he likes (Raina and Ashwin are glaring examples and both of them failed to carry their CSK form to the international arena). Yuvraj will play no matter what. And the bowlers - what can I say? Rather than complaining now that we don't have world class bowlers who can field as well, he should have cut them short two years back when their individual deficiencies were covered up with the euphoria of team wins. Honestly, why blame just Dhoni? The BCCI is equally complacent in the systematic erosion of quality bowlers in India - the IPL was tailor made for batsmenship, we agreed to play substandard bowlers who promised 150kmph but finally delivered only 120kmph (read Munaf Patel), we never questioned the shelf life of some pathetic fielders (read Ashish Nehra) and never bothered to look for a spinner beyond Bhajji until it was too late in the day.

Today's loss to South Africa in the World Cup was not lost because the Indian batting collapsed in the last ten overs, or because we failed to stop the singles or because (as most people believe) Nehra bowled the last over. We have been losing it inch by inch every time we decided to be intoxicated with victories under MSD, hailing our cricketers as demi gods one day and stoning their homes the other, and most importantly, not asking more tough questions. The victories and fan reactions are group behavior beyond individual control but on the third point I'd like to see a more proactive questioning of the BCCI for the money it makes from your and my emotions, the pitches being produced to groom only batsmen and how the game is moving from the one everyone loves to a soul less, money minting machinery.

I recall reading this article more than two years back and being moved to tears sitting in my office. Today, I am more than sure that once the great man retires, I'll have a lesser urge to watch the game ball by ball, all day long; which if done by many individuals of my generation should surely send a strong message that we're willing to give up something so dear to us if it is not properly managed. That should also take care (to an extent) of exaggerated fan reactions and the madness wherein sub standard performances are swept underneath the carpet. Until that happens, I am convinced that Dhoni is becoming a victim of not just how things have shaped up in Indian cricket during the past couple of years but also of the persona built around him - a captain that can deliver the improbable.

Winning this Cup won't be easy but even to come remotely close, the team and its captains need to be shaken out of their callous bubble. Even if we do end up winning, it seems like Dhoni's ramblings and arrogance has already set off a ticking time bomb that will take him and his pot bellied cronies down.

Of course, like every Indian cricket fan, I'm fervently praying for an Indian win with a Sachin century in the finals. Beyond that, RIP MSD.